Junior and Teen Leaders

The 4-H junior and teen leadership experience is designed to provide members with the opportunity to learn about the qualities and competencies needed to be a leader.  Junior leaders provide assistance, while teen leaders assume more challenging leadership roles.  Junior and teen leaders may assist with specific projects or with more general 4-H activities and events.  A 4-H member may be a junior or teen leader for one or more projects during the year.

Responsibilities

The primary duties of a junior or teen leader are (varies by age, experience, and other factors):

1. Work collaboratively with the adult leader to set goals, develop lesson plans, teach skills, and evaluate activities.
2. Coordinate logistical details such as meeting times, locations, materials, supplies, and expenses with the adult leader.
3. Communicate with the adult leader and members about group expectations, responsibilities and expected outcomes.

At the beginning of the year, the 4-H member and the adult leaders should meet to discuss the project and define each of their roles. The adult leader and junior or teen leader should record their expectations for the successful completion of being a junior or teen leader. 

Junior and teen leaders who are working on Star Ranks and want to receive significant leadership activity credits must complete the Leadership Development Report (LDR) as part of their Record Book. Members who are junior and teen leaders and either have already received their Platinum Star or are not working toward their Star Ranks are not required to complete and LDR. Please see 4-H Record Books for more details. 

Requirements

Junior leaders (intermediate members): To become a junior leader, members must be at least 11 and no more than 13 years old by December 31st of the program year.

Teen leaders (senior members): To become a teen leader, members must be at least 14 and no more than 19 years old by December 31st of the program year.